Baler



Feb. 18,1958

R. H. coLLlvNs 2,823,603

BALER Filed Nov. 1, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l EET" l.

' Z9 4 y l [HIIIIH h X- fl/ 1 3 1|! f ml 512 H1' I i HHm TLIIIIHW /v 4 u /Z l 1 M1556!" NI Il i l' al /Nz/E/v TUF ROBERT H. coLLxN s @Zim/fm Feb. 18, 1958 R. H. coLLlNs 2,823,603

/Nze/v T'D/F ROBERTHCOLUNS @ZQJMW /7 TTD/PNE V5 United States Patent This invention relates??to' improvements? inibal'er's",

and @more specifically relates to attachment forlaJ-ha'y baler' and the-like for e'qualizing'oruniformly distribu-t` ing the density ofmaterialinA a bale:

Asis wellknown, balers for' hay and the Vlike employ;

a bale chamber 'to which the materiall is forcibly fed" bya reciprocating plunger, generally actuated by a` moi" tor or the power take-off` fromv a tractor.

tiedA by wire or twine while in compacted condition i'n the machine, and whendischarged from the machineVJ expand against the wire tied therearound. If the den- `sity o f the b ale is not distributed substantially equally," the bale will buckle and thewire may slip off to release" Such conditions' are very. unsatisfact'ory the material. and necessitate 'additional work inrebalingthe' material or in su'bsequenthandlin'g thereof.

The non-uniform density of the bales maybei'caused' by a numberv of reasons; For example, the re'c'ziproca't` ing plunger which movesY the material through thebale chamber 'may'not' compress the material with uniform density due to anV olf-centerV position of Vsaid plunger iu the bale chamber. Also, the material maybe fed Lunevenly to the feed opening and be moved-through the bale chamber with. an unequal density. Furthermore frictional--resistance of the wallsofthe baleK chamber may vary yrelative to each other to retard the movement of the material along certain surfaces of the-'bale' chamber.

An object of the invention, therefore, is toprovidean attachment which isv readily secured to a baler -for uni'- formly distributing the density of the material in` the bale as' said bale is beingV compressed.-

Any additional object-.isy to provideadensity controlling-or distributing device which employsV spaced, frictionally -retarded members rotatable as a unit and hav# ingv projecting portions disposed in the path of the Yrmaterial being baled.

Further objects are to provide a vdensity controllingv device which is simple in` structure` and relable'in'fop-v eration, and which is inexpensive to manufacture:k

InlgeneraLthe present vinvention -resides' in an attachment which is-bolted tothe sides'ofY a baler and which has spaced upper'and lower rotatable' membersy having" projections disposed in the path of the materialt being' The bales are' ice.

ingr machine# with the prestare-density controlling; de. vice 'attached' thereto;

Figure 2fis1 a fragmentary top' plan view of"v 'a portion of Vthe baling chamber showing the attachm'en'ts-` oneach side thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3`of Figure 2, and showing the internal structure'of 'theattachment';

Figure 4 isal perspective view Yofo'rieof v"tlieupper' rotatable"m'enibers" and 'integral shaft;` v I K Y Figure 5` is a perspective view of lower rotatable member;y

Figure 6 is a sectional View take'n on the'line"6-6 ofFigui-e '1 and showing" in detail tlie' structurelofa bale chamberV of -aconventional-baling machine;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken -onthe line '7-7 Referringfnow'i-n detail` to the drawings, one type ofbalerV structure-towhichd theupresent invention may be applied comprises af bale chamber- 10, Figure 6,`c'ompris ing 1ongitudinal-top1frame members 11 inthe form` of angle irons-fand a-frame member 12.r inthe form ofaf channel iron Vcomprising the bottoni-A wallon which `the material slides. position by a top transverse frame member/14r and verfy tical .members 16 securedbetween -fram'e'mem-bers 11 and 13. The bale chamber '10' is further denedlbya'- pressure plate- 17, located atY 'the'to'p of thechamber be-i tweenthe two corner frame members 11,k and a' pair of pressure' plates 18 located at each side' between `.the u'p-y per and lower Yframe members `11 and 13. The 'feed opening' 'of the baler, notl shown, isidisposed'-atthetriglit' in Figure 1, the plates 17 and 18 are pivotally mounted atl some point adjacent the feedi'ope'ning; the'V p'late"17 being pivoted on a horizontal axis and' plate'si18 being pivoted on vertical axes. l

Al pair of rods 20 threaded on each end'ar'e slidably mounted in ears 21 secured to `the longitudinal1 frame members 11 and 12, and slidably mountedon th'eseir'ods above the bale chamber 10'is a' transverse'channel iron 22 comprising a base support for 'an hydraulic cylinder 24 having a piston 25 and piston rod 26'se'cure`d'to` the pressure plate 17, the cylinder 24' receiving" fluid ypressure through feed line 24d. Also `securedto'the' pis ton rod 26 and movable vertically there'wi'this a` trans'- verse anglefbar 27 having a pair of downwardly projecting Vears 29 on each end thereof. Slidably mounted on the rods 20 beneath the bale chamber is a second transverse angle bar 30,V this angle bar havinga pair of upwardly` projecting ears 31 on eachend. Bars 2'j7nand 30 are movable toward each other `on thevrods 20, and the bar 30 is supported on` the yrods 20 by nuts 34 threadedon-the bottom ends of the rods-20. RodsV 20 also have nuts 35 threaded on the top ends thereof-which are engageable with the bar 22;

Secured toi each of` the pressure plateslgare-.four--lugsl 36 and reinforcingrchannel members 37 and-38.' Pivotally connectedbetwe'en theears 29 and`f31- ony theangle bars 27- ,and130-,v respectively; and the lugs 36 are links-40 which form a toggle mechanism.4 When iluid pressure isl admitted to the'cylinder 24, piston `25 is actuated to move the piston rod 26 and transverse bar-'27 downwardly to position whereby t pressure yplate '17 engages l the 'material v in:v the -baling chamberl Upon\engagement'iofV plate I7- f with the material in the chamber 10, further actuation of the piston by fluid pressure causes the cylinder 24 and its base 22 to move upwardly on the rods 20 and to con- These frame members are held Iin frigid.'

tnue such movement until the base 22 engages nuts 35. Thereupon, base 22 exerts an upward force on the nuts 35 to move the rods 20 and angle bar 30 upwardly and the toggle mechanism pivots the plates 18 inwardly to compress material in the chamber from the sides. By this type of baling structure the material to be baled, which is forced through the baling chamber 10 by means of a horizontally reciprocating plunger, not shown, is compressed both from the top and sides for forming a tight bale.

Referring now in particular to Figures 1-5, there is shown a density equalizing device 4S for use on balers of the type hereinbefore described, although it is to be understood that the device may be applied to other types of balers, The device comprises a channel shaped support or bracketv 46 which is adapted to be bolted to the pressure plates 18 by bolts 47. Support 46 has projecting end portions 48 between which is mounted or cast a cylindrical housing 49. Rotatably journaled in the housing 49 by bearings 52 is a shaft 53. The shaft 53 has an integral wheel or disc 54 rigidly securedon one end and has screw threads 55 on the opposite end for receiving a nut 56. Removably mounted on the other end of the shaft from the wheel 54 is a wheel or disc 58 having aprojecting hub 59 provided with a keyway 60. Shaft S3 has a slot 61 for receiving a key 62 which also engages keyway 60 of the wheel 58 when the wheel is mounted on the shaft to prevent relative rotation of the parts. The wheels or discs 54 and 58 have projections 64 which partially extend into the bale chamber 10 when the device is mounted on the baler. Projections 64 may take any desired shape but, as shown herein, a preferred construction is to cast the discs 54 and 58 in the form of star wheels.

A compression spring 65 is loosely mounted on the shaft between a pair of washers 66 which engage the nut 56 and the hub 59. Mounted on the shaft 53 adjacent the inner surface of each disc is a friction ring or brakev lining 67 which is adapted frictionally to resist rotation of the discs and shaft. The braking action of the linings can be increased or decreased by tightening or loosening the nut 56.

In operation of the baler, the material to be baled is moved through the bale chamber 10 by the reciprocating plunger. The projections 64 on the retarding discsV 54 and 58 extend into the baling chamber and are engaged by the moving material to cause rotation kof the retarding discs and the shafts 53, the retarding action on the discs being accomplished by the friction lining 67 and the amount of retarding action being variable by adjustment of nuts 56 on the shafts 53.

The retarding devices serve the function of equalizing the density of the material throughout the bale. If, for example, the material isbeing compacted more tightly at the bottom of the chamber than at the top, the retarding force of the bottom discs restrain movement of the mate'-l rial in that area until additional material is moved into and packed at the topto a density substantially equal to that at the'bottom. This lfeature is accomplished by the fact that the material will shift to the area offering the least resistance of passage, and when the upper and lower areasare of substantially uniform density, the material in such areas moves at an equal rate until, of course,

such time as another void or soft spot appears therein.`

More importantly, if the material is being compacted with greater density on. one side of the chamber than on the other, the retarding lforce imparted by the upper and lower discsof one of the units 45 will restrain movement of the material on the said one side until material is compacted to an equal density on the other side.

vIt is apparent, therfore, that if a void or soft spot occurs in the material in any area in the chamber 10,

the remaining area will be restrained until the void orA soft spot is filled to uniform density. Adjustment may f ,4 have to be made for different types of material being baled because one type of material may move through the chamber with voids indifferent areas than others, but after experimentation and adjustment of the two units relative to each other on the first bale or two the remainder of the material in that particular field is assuredly packed in bales of uniform density.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a baling machine having a baling chamber defined by upper and lower walls and a pair of laterally movable side plates, a vertically disposed channel-shaped v bracket fixed to each of said side plates, said brackets having top and bottom at surfaces, a vertical shaft journaled in each of said brackets and projecting beyond said top and bottom at surfaces, said shafts being independently rotatable, a pair of disc members xed to the upper and lower projecting portions of each of said shafts, radial extensions on said disc members extending into said baling chamber in the path of material passing therethrough, frictional lining between said disc members and said top and bottom at surfaces for applying a frictional retarding force to said disc members, said disc members being disposed adjacent the upper and lower portions only of said baling chamber for forming retarding means for material in said baling chamber at the upper and lower side portions for distributing said material with equal density vertically and laterally as it moves through said baling chamber in engagement with said disc members, and adjustable screw threaded means on said -shaft arranged to apply resilient compressive force on said frictional lining between said disc members 'and said top and bottom surfaces for varying said retarding force.

v2. In a baling machine havinga baling chamber delined by upper and lower walls and a pair of laterally movable side plates, a rigid bracket fixed to each of said side plates and having vertically spaced top and bottom at surfaces, a vertical shaft journaled in each of said brackets and projecting beyond said top and bottom at surfaces, said shafts being independently rotatable, a disc member integrally connected with the upper end of each of said shafts, friction lining between said disc member and said flat top surface of said bracket, a disc member slidably keyed to the lower end of each shaft for rotation with the shaft and longitudinal slidable movement on said shaft, friction lining between said lower disc member and said bottom flat surface of said bracket, radial extensions on said disc members extending into said baling chamber in the path of material passing there through, said disc members being disposed adjacent the upper and lower portions only of both sides of said baling vchamber to form equalizing retarding means for re-dis- References Cited in the le of this patent 'UNITED' STATES PATENrs 375,078 Livengood Dec. 20, 1887 2,528,538 Nolt Nov. 7, 1950 2,686,467 Nolt Aug. 17, 1954 2,704,508 Hansen Mar. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 7, 1953 y 

